Sonny's Christmas Shoes
by mspink93
Summary: Based on the song of the same name, and also the movie inspired by the song. Chad Dylan Cooper has lost his Christmas spirit. But sometimes, inspiration can be found in the unlikiest of places...


**So, first of all, I just want to apologize if this is, you know, not very good. I was just struck with this sudden inspiration to write this story, based on the song "Christmas Shoes" by NewSong, and also, on the movie which was inspired by the song. But I have like, a million and one other things to do today, so I wrote this down fast, and so I'm sorry if it sucks. I just needed to get it out there, to ease my soul.**

**So, anyways....I'm sorry!**

**And this is my second, slightly Christmasy fanfic. What can I say...I just get so into the season! It's the greatest time of year!!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own SWAC or the whole idea behind the Christmas Shoes.**

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**Sonny's Christmas Shoes**

_"You see, she's been sick for quite a while...know these shoes will make her smile" - The Christmas Shoes, NewSong_

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I sighed and glanced at my watch for what seemed like the tenth time for the night. As I looked around the crowded store, I asked myself – again – why I was doing this. It was Christmas Eve, and I was standing in line at a toy store, waiting to cash for the items that I had picked up on my last minute shopping run for my niece. No, she couldn't be satisfied with having the great Chad Dylan Cooper, movie star extraordinaire, as her uncle. Instead, she had me traipsing around the whole city trying to find some singing doll for her. This store had been my last chance and only hope, and luckily, I had gotten the last doll in stock.

I shifted the box from one hand to the other as the line moved forward. Now there was only one person in front of me, and I honestly couldn't be happier. I just wanted to get out of here and go home, take a nice hot bath and go to sleep. No Christmas party, no family, and most of all, no presents. I wasn't exactly sure when this happened, but somewhere along the line, I had lost all of my Christmas spirit. Actually, I'm lying. I know _exactly_ when I became this bitter and cold-hearted.

It had started when Mackenzie Falls and So Random! had finished production, about 10 years ago. Right before we all packed up and left the studios, Sonny Munroe (my girlfriend at the time) had pulled me aside, claiming that we needed to talk. I was so in love with her that I didn't even stop to think what those four ill-fated words meant. I just followed her and stood there, completely unprepared for the horrible blow.

"Chad...we need to break up," she told me softly, tears quietly running down her face.

I just stared at her. "W-what? Why?"

She shook her head slightly and bit on one perfectly manicured red fingernail. "Our shows are done. We won't be working in the same studio anymore, and...and I might want to go back home to Wisconsin. I'm sorry, but I can't keep up a long distance relationship," by the end of this statement, she was full out sobbing, her shoulders hunched over. I almost gave in to my instinct and pulled her into a hug, but I stopped myself at the last minute, remembering that she was dumping me.

Instead, I patted her once awkwardly on her head, and turned and walked away. After that day, I never saw Sonny Munroe again. But I never stopped loving her, even once, and so I also never dated anyone else.

Sonny had changed me. When we were together, she made me a warmer, nicer person. I was less bossy, less demanding and less self-absorbed. I actually joked and smiled true smiles, not the Hollywood smirks that people were used to. But after she dumped me, I changed again, and this time for the worst. I was cold and didn't care about anyone other than myself. Christmas, which had once been my favourite holiday, became just another ordinary day on the calendar.

When the cashier motioned me forward, I breathed a sigh of relief and started to step towards the counter. Before I could put the doll box down, a little boy with brown hair stepped in front of me and placed a show box in front of the cashier. He turned to me and looked pleadingly at me.

"Please, sir, I just need to buy this one thing," he said.

I nodded, completely unable to speak. There was something about his chocolate coloured eyes that reminded me of something. They looked exactly like Sonny's eyes had looked back when we worked together, large and earnest looking. His eyes even shone like hers, as if he was always laughing.

The cashier opened up the shoe box, revealing a pair of red high heeled shoes. They looked like they were made of satin, and there was a single ribbon on each shoe, long enough to be wrapped around the wearer's ankle three times and tied, like a ballet slipper.

"$20.00," she said, twisting her black hair into a bun and securing it with a stray pencil that she picked up from next to the cash register.

The boy dug around in his pockets and pulled out a handful of coins. As he dropped them on the counter, they made a sharp sound, causing me to wince. I then rolled my eyes and tapped my foot impatiently. This boy was taking up more time than I was offered to give. The cashier got busy counting the coins, and after what seemed like years, she looked up at the little boy with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, there's not enough money here. You only have $17.86," she said. She gathered all of the coins in her hand and held them out to the little boy. He refused to take them, instead turning to me, his eyes filled with tears.

"Sir, please, what am I going to do?" he asked. "My mother, she's not very well, and I need to get her these shoes! I want her to look beautiful, if she has to go and meet Jesus tonight. Please...what am I going to do?"

His words touched my heart, and I smiled sadly at him. I fished around in my pocket for my wallet and pulled out $25. I put the two bills on the counter and motioned to the boy with my arm. "$5 is for him and his shoes."

The little boy took the shoes from the counter and tucked them underneath his arm. "Oh, thank you sir!" he cried. He started to run to the exit, but I called out to him.

"Hey, kid! It's too icy outside. I'll drive you back home, ok?" I picked up the plastic bag with my singing doll and followed the boy outside. I don't know what had come over me; I wasn't one to offer rides to people I actually knew, much less strangers. But there was something about this boy that made me reluctant to leave him. He just reminded me too much of Sonny, and I didn't want to let him do.

I led him to my car, and we both got inside. I adjusted my mirrors and buckled my seat belt, and then started to drive down the road. "So, kid, what's your name?"

"Dylan," he said, fidgeting with the seatbelt across his chest. He pointed down a road and sat up. "Turn here. My house is right there! Thank you so much, sir."

I parked in his driveway and unlocked the doors. Dylan unbuckled his seat belt and threw open the car door. He didn't even close it, just ran up the stairs and into the house. I sighed and got out of the car myself. I carefully walked around the vehicle and shut the backseat door. My hand still on the handle, I looked up at the house and bit my lip.

I couldn't exactly explain what it was, but some force was drawing me to the house. I knew that if I didn't give in to it, I would regret this moment for the rest of my life, so I let go of the door handle, ran up the front steps and tried to open the front door. To my surprise, it gave away, and I found myself staring at the foyer inside of the house. I heard soft Christmas music playing, and I followed the sound until I reached the TV room. In the corner, a bed was set up, and Dylan was kneeling by the bedside.

"Dylan?" I whispered, stepping closer to the boy. He turned around and looked at me, tears overflowing from his eyes. When he spoke though, his voice was curiously composed.

"Hey," he said softly. He motioned me over with a wave of his hand, and I walked right up to the bed. My breath caught in my throat when I saw who his mother was; Sonny. She looked terrible. Her skin had a faint bluish tinge to it, and her face looked sunken in. Her eyes were only open halfway, as if it took a great effort to support her eyelids, and her breathing was uneven and heavy. Her brown hair, which was once so beautiful, lay splayed across her pillow, all shine and bounce gone. "Mom, he helped me buy the shoes for you. This is..."

He trailed off because he didn't know my name, I had never told him. But Sonny took one look at me and opened her mouth, finishing the sentence in a whisper for him. "Chad Dylan Cooper," she said, before being hit with an attack of coughs.

I collapsed to my knees next to Dylan, and grasped her frail hand with my own. "Oh, Sonny...what happened to you?" I breathed. I took my free hand and brushed some of her bangs off of her clammy forehead. I was vaguely aware of my tears falling on her hand, but I made no move to wipe them away.

She patted her chest with one hand and looked up at me. "My heart..."

I couldn't stop the tears, and I lay my head down on the bed and started to sob. Sonny - _my Sonny_ - was dying. She was lying down on this bed and dying, and I couldn't do anything to save her. I felt her hand reach up slowly and tangle itself in my hair, like she used to do when we were dating.

"Chad...don't worry. I'll be fine. I...love you," she gasped out. I lifted my head and looked into her brown, brown eyes. She looked so sincere, and I knew that she meant it.

"Sonny, I love you too. I've always loved you. I never stopped loving you," I said quietly before placing a kiss on her lips. She smiled at me once more before turning her attention to Dylan.

"I love you, Mom," he whimpered. "I'll miss you."

"I love you too, sweetie. And....remember...I'll always be...looking down on....you, ok?" She took one last shuddering breath before lying completely still.

I backed away from the bed and hugged Dylan. He grasped my waist and sobbed into my shirt. I wiped my eyes, my grief from losing Sonny too big for tears. I took one last look at her body, and my eyes caught sight of a shocking red against the stark white bed sheets.

Her shoes....her Christmas shoes. They were on her feet, the ribbons smooth and tied carefully in perfectly symmetrical bows. I smiled.

She would definitely look beautiful tonight when she meets Jesus.

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**Ok, so, whenever I listen to that song, I want to bawl my eyes out. Is it only me??**

**And remember....wanna give me a Christmas present? Then review, please!!** **And umm...even if you don't wanna give me a Christmas present....still review, please lol**


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